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Virtual Onboarding: 4 Fun Ways to Make a New Employee Feel Welcome

Virtual Onboarding: 4 Fun Ways to Make a New Employee Feel Welcome

  With so many of us now working remotely, employee engagement within the corporate culture has certainly changed in many ways. For example, most of us probably can’t even remember the last in-person meeting we’ve attended.   For the majority of virtual employees, Zoom meetings have become the new normal.   So what goes into creating a virtual onboarding plan that will make a new employee feel welcome, even though they may be hundreds of miles from their nearest coworker?   In this article, we’ll take a look at four proven virtual onboarding tips.  
  1. Set up a Virtual Welcome Meeting With the Team
  On your new employee’s first day on the job, set up a Zoom meeting with the entire team they’ll be working with. Have each team member give a short introduction about themselves and their experience with working for the company.   It’s also a good idea to give your new employee an idea of what roles each team member owns within the organization. Make sure the new team member has plenty of time to ask questions and introduce themselves.   The virtual welcome meeting should feel like a huge priority, not a formality or after-thought.  
  1. Schedule a Team Lunch via Zoom
  This is a little more relaxed idea than the virtual welcome meeting and might be a good idea for new virtual employees who will play less vital roles within the company.   Schedule a time that makes sense for everybody to have a live team Zoom lunch. Of course, if you have employees in other parts of the world, it may be dinner time for them. But that only makes this kind of virtual onboarding idea that much more interesting.   Rather than setting a talking points agenda, your employees can have a more relaxed conversation among themselves. This is a great way for people to share open and honest thoughts, all while making your new employee feel welcome and valued.  
  1. Plan a Virtual Happy Hour
  This is an even more relaxed virtual onboarding idea and might be the most fun of all. Rather than working within normal business hours, why not plan a virtual happy hour with the team and your new employee in the early evening hours?   In the invitation, be clear that this is going to be a very relaxed virtual meeting where beverages of all kinds are welcomed and open conversation is highly encouraged.   While this idea might initially sound a little awkward to some, everybody will soon begin to enjoy themselves once they loosen up a bit and get to talking (and hopefully laughing!) with each other.  
  1. Send a Welcome Gift
  Employee welcome gifts are one of the absolute best ways to make a new virtual employee feel welcomed into your organization.   A wonderful way to welcome a new employee to the team is to send a swag bag your company’s branded merch like t-shirts, coffee mugs, hats and office supplies.  In addition consider surprising them with something more outside-the-box.   For example, do a little research on the best high-end dining in their area, then add a gift card to their swag bag so they can enjoy a night out on the company.   That will definitely show your new employee that they are highly valued!   Creating a Virtual Onboarding Plan Can Be Easy   When you think about the new virtual employee experience from the perspective of the employee, it soon becomes obvious that making them feel welcome is all about personal interactions.   With these virtual onboarding tips, you’ll welcome more happy employees into your organization.